Did you know federal grant money is available for individuals who want to become teachers?
Students in certain Master of Arts in Teaching programs (M.A.T.) may be eligible for a federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
A TEACH grant is different from other federal student grants because it requires you to take certain kinds of classes in order to get the grant and then do a certain kind of job to keep the grant from turning into a loan. A grant-eligible program prepares you to teach as a highly qualified teacher in a high-need field and leads to a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or is a post-baccalaureate (non-degree) program.
The annual publication of national Teacher Shortage Areas (TSA) listing is used as the basis for which programs qualify for TEACH grants. Current shortages in Georgia are Science (middle grades* or secondary* Biology, Physics or Chemistry), Mathematics (middle grades or secondary), Special Education (Individual General Curriculum), English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and Spanish, and Reading.
Schools that participate in the TEACH program determine which of the programs they offer are eligible. A program that is eligible at one school might not be eligible at another school.
A two-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree is considered a program that leads to a bachelor’s degree. A post–baccalaureate program is not eligible if it is offered by a school that also offers a bachelor’s degree in education.
Contact the financial aid office at the school you are attending (or planning to attend) to find out which programs at that school are eligible for the TEACH grant.
General terms and conditions for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must agree to the following:
- You must serve as a full-time teacher for a total of at least four academic years within eight years after you complete or otherwise cease to be enrolled in the program(s) for which you received TEACH Grant funds.
- You must perform the teaching service as a highly qualified teacher at a low-income school or educational service agency.
- Your teaching service must be in a high-need field.
- You must provide the U.S. Department of Education with documentation of your progress toward completing your service obligation.
- If you do not meet the requirements of your service obligation, all TEACH Grant funds you received will be converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. You must repay this loan in full, with interest charged from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement.
Before pursuing a TEACH grant, be sure to read the terms and conditions of the grant.
*middle grades = grades 4-8 *secondary = grades 6- 12